Overview
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif proposed an indicative support price of Rs4,500 per maund (40kg) for the 2027 wheat crop, announced Friday as a rise from last year’s Rs3,500 rate.
- The government described the figure as illustrative rather than a guaranteed procurement rate, so formal buyback rules and who will pay that price remain to be set through talks with provinces.
- National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said the federal government will seek a uniform support rate with provinces, has reserved one million tonnes of wheat in federal stocks, and has ordered monitoring to protect supplies.
- Farmers say the proposal falls short of their demand by about Rs500 per maund, and officials point to higher costs for fertiliser, diesel, seeds and electricity as the reason for the price increase.
- Beyond the price figure, officials highlighted upgraded quarantine testing and planned livestock reforms as part of a wider push to boost domestic output but warned that provincial procurement, market signals and anti‑middleman oversight will determine whether growers expand sowing.